The Pact
by Servatia
Summary: Snippets of how the relationship between Deacon and the Sole Survivor develops after the endgame. Part 6 (being the last) of the series Ride On.
1. Our Lives Assured

_((I planned this to be mostly light-hearted, but that didn't exactly happen. It's still quite happy by my standards. The chapters are all rather short, but I found it a bit long for a one-chapter story so I split it into scenes._

 _The chapter headings are all taken from the_ Dragon Age: Inquisition _tavern songs. The first one happened, then I did it on purpose. This one's from_ Once We Were _._

 _Also, this first chapter and the next are actually before_ Dies Irae _in the timeline, pretty much immediately after_ Bring the Dark Disaster _.))_

* * *

 _Chapter 1  
Our Lives Assured_

'Can I go with Mr Valentine, Mom? Please!'

Kalyna grinned. 'Sure. You take care of him, he always gets himself into all sorts of trouble.'

Shaun leaned forwards. 'Yeah, he says you saved his life!'

'He told you that?'

'Yes! And Deacon … hmm.'

'Deacon what?'

'Deacon says he's a synth, and you saved his life too.'

Kalyna snorted. 'Deacon's not a synth. But I did save his life a couple of times. As he did mine.' That wasn't what Deacon had meant, she believed, but there was no need for the kid to know that. And it was certainly not for her to disclose any of the details.

'He says it doesn't matter what he is, but I know that, of course. I mean, Mr Valentine's a synth, and he's brilliant.'

'That he is.' She swallowed. 'Don't keep him waiting if he wants you to run along. I'll have a word with Deacon.'

'Don't be mad at him, I didn't really believe him anyway. We'll come back soon!'

'I hope so.' She watched her son – for he was that, he was her Shaun – run to the bridge. Nick liked to visit the robots at the nearby farm, occasionally bringing them food to plant, and Shaun had taken to him, as he had to most of the others. That aside, visiting the robots would be very exciting for him. Kalyna was nervous about her child travelling so far without her, but if he was with Nick, she wasn't too concerned. The detective would guard him with his life, if he had to.

Some parts of life after the Institute were still strange. Watching X6, who now went by Extany, made it all even stranger. He was pumping water, his shades ditched, waving back at Shaun as he ran past. She remembered the shouting match – or at least the aftermath – between him and Deacon after she'd blown up the Institute. The courser had vanished, and when he'd returned he was capture without resistance by Danse and Hancock, who were both wary. But none of them like Deacon.

His normally calm and accepting demeanour had dropped, and he had urged Kalyna to kick X6 out if she was unwilling to kill him. It was the first time they fought, quietly but intensely, before Deacon had marched off to where X6 was being held. The result had been Deacon pushing his laser gun into the courser's chin and yelling – Deacon, yelling! – that he'd never been welcome to begin with and that now they no longer needed to keep him leashed so it was either walk or die. At least that was what Hancock had said when he'd run to Kalyna to sort them out. By the time she arrived, X6 had decided to become Extany (a name that had _Deacon_ written all over it) and Deacon was discussing the pros and cons of getting his memory wiped. If Hancock hadn't been so obviously worried, Kalyna would have thought he'd pulled her leg.

Like Curie, Extany seemed a little lost, but he'd come round. For those two, the difference between their former lives and the new possibilities was the greatest. Apparently, the gist of Extany's thoughts as the Institute he'd always been loyal to went up in a huge explosion was, 'oh, fuck it'. At least, those were Deacon's words once she mustered up the composure to ask about it. She had hated fighting with her man, and if his wide-eyed expression when she reached him and Extany was any indication, so did he. Given his self-deprecating nature, she gave up on the thought to let him struggle and went straight to him, pressing her lips to his cheek.

Trouble was, it hadn't ended there. Only a couple of days later, she had revealed that she intended to tell Shaun what he was. Deacon wasn't thrilled, to say the least. After all, it didn't matter. And of course, it didn't. That Shaun wasn't truly the child she'd given birth to made no difference to her. But as far as she knew, what he was couldn't remain a secret because he simply wouldn't grow up. The problem was that Deacon didn't believe this was the real reason. Her Deacon. It hurt like hell.

'Hey.'

She turned away from the bridge over which her son and Nick had just vanished, the former skipping, the latter at a brisk walk to keep up. 'Hey.'

Deacon looked like a schoolboy who had been caught in a brawl on the corridor. 'Look, I get it. It's none of my business.'

This time, she couldn't let him off so easily, even if she wanted to. 'Let's take this inside.' She saw the fear flicker over his face, so readable to her now. It only added to her irritation. 'First … What the hell, Deacon?'

'I'm …' He swallowed. 'If you want me to leave, all you have to do is say it.'

'This is exactly my problem. Or one of them.' She turned away, didn't want him to see how her eyes were burning. After murdering the real Shaun, after letting her tears flow almost for the first time since she'd stepped out of the blasted vault, it had become difficult to keep them back sometimes. She hated that so-called Father for that as much as everything else he'd done. 'You don't really believe we have a future, do you? We made a pact, Deacon, but you have zero faith in it. In me.' Her voice had broken after the first sentence, but she'd continued bravely.

'No, no that's not at all what it is!' Deacon sounded almost shocked. 'I have … you know this is hard for me.' He embraced her from behind, rocking her gently. 'I know you love me, all right? I know you'll stand by me. But if I screw up too badly, you'd be a fool to stick with me, and I'm still not sure how badly is too badly.' He buried his face in her neck. 'And this was … quite bad. I'd be mad if I were you. I've known you for so long now, I know you make no difference between human, synth, ghoul, or super mutant, as long as there is a will to coexist and not declare themselves a God. I know it, Whisper, and I'm worried because I fucked up.'

Kalyna turned around, resting her head against his chest. She felt him relax at the intimate gesture. 'I'm not trying to sell resentment as reason, Deacon.'

'No. And you're right. He needs to know if he truly won't age. If they managed to create a synth that actually grows up, though, he's better off not knowing.'

'I'll still tell him.'

'Why? And why now?' he pulled away enough to be able to look at her. 'Don't get this wrong, it's your choice alone, but I hope you'll explain to me why. We recommended the synths we freed to get their memories changed so they don't know what they are. I don't get why you want that kid, who has the blessing not to know to begin with, to be aware of his nature, which is exactly what we hope the others will hide even from themselves.'

'Because,' Kalyna said slowly, 'I want people to accept synths as people. And if there are a few examples of them they know of, like Curie, like Extany, like Shaun, that'll be easier. They're safe here, they are protected, and they are normal. Just people.' She shrugged. 'I don't believe in living lies, Deacon.'

He nodded once. 'All right.'

'And no, I'm not the only one that has a say.' She cupped his cheek. 'He's a kid. And if they pulled off the miracle to get him to age, he'll hit puberty. If one of his parents never makes a decision without deferring the other, he'll realise that and exploit it. I suppose that being a parent to him is part of our pact, even if he wasn't there when we made it.' Suddenly wondering if she'd assumed too much, Kalyna tilted her head. 'Unless … you'd rather not. Be a part of him. I always just assumed that.'

'Whisper. I … always wanted kids and you know it. I'm thinking the constant radiation has killed every sperm in my balls, because … well. You know. So I'm all in. This is your kid. I love you more than I can say. I'll be a dad for him if you want me to.' He smiled, so honest, so sweet. 'And it seems you do want me to. Part of the pact.'

'I'm not going to lie to him.'

The smile on Deacon's face turned a little mischievous. 'Can't promise you that, beautiful.'

She grinned back. 'You'll need to do it better. He's learning to read you.'

'I hope so.' He made a face. 'I should get my head checked out.' Deacon let go of her and knelt at the cooking station to light a fire. 'Something else. How're you holding up? You seem your cheerful self after the Institute, but I don't buy it.'

'Me neither. I … this shouldn't be so difficult, and it wasn't when I did it. I knew I'd have to kill Shaun. I chose this path a long while ago.'

'Father.' Deacon looked up to her from his crouching position. 'Call him Father. Trust me, it makes it easier. Shaun's plucking mutfruit with Nick, Father's ashes.'

'I'll try that. And I know I have you to bawl my eyes out if I must.'

'Count on it.'

* * *

 _((When I played the Railroad ending, X6-88 decided to be bugged (at least I think it's a bug) and stayed peacefully in Sanctuary. Apparently that's a thing that happens, but for a moment I found it extremely suspicious. I even considered killing him but refrained.))_


	2. What Season May Come

_((Chapter heading from_ Empress of Fire _from the DA:I tavern songs.))_

 _Chapter 2  
What Season May Come_

'Deacon?'

Deacon held on to the rope. 'Hang on there, Shaun, one moment. Preston, I'm gonna let go. As in now.'

'All right. I want to be buried across the bridge, off towards the north.'

'I'll just dump you in one of the broken down cars. That all right?'

'Sounds good. Let go.'

'Just hurry up before my arm's torn off.'

'Let go.'

'Only when I've figured out a convincing story how and why you died.'

'Deacon. It's secure. Let go.'

He did. No crashing sound. Deacon contemplated the ladder to the roof, took a deep breath, and climbed up to untie the knot Preston had made earlier. To use a hole in the roof to lower slabs of metal to serve as a bunker that offered at least some protection in a radstorm wasn't the worst idea, but the thought of what would happen if a rope snapped, the flimsy-looking pulley fell apart, or his strength didn't suffice to hold the blasted thing – he'd rather not contemplate it. For someone who'd been involved in such violence as he had, he was horribly squeamish. One of the things about himself he actually liked, because that meant he was still human.

Deacon shook the thought off and looked down at Shaun. The world spun. 'Hi. Rescue me.' He sat down on the roof and all but crawled back to the ladder. 'I hate this. I hate roofs. Not above me, but below me. Having a roof below you is a bad idea. Mark my words. The one above us is something we'll have to work on.'

'Are you scared?'

Deacon made it down safely. 'Scared? Me?' He rammed his fists in his sides. 'Don't you know I'm never scared? I talked to a deathclaw once. Had a nice chat, actually. It didn't say all that much, but it didn't eat me either, and it didn't look too hungry when it stared at me.'

'Why would you talk to a deathclaw?' The scepticism in Shaun's face was adorable.

'Because it was looking for its egg. And I brought it back. I singlehandedly wrestled it off raiders and another deathclaw and carried it through half the Commonwealth back to its nest. Fearlessly, no less.'

'I don't believe you. Hancock says you're a liar.'

'Hancock says that? Hm. Well. True. Now figure this out: If I tell you I'm lying, what does that mean?'

'Huh?'

'I'm telling you that this sentence is a lie. Discuss.'

Shaun grinned at him. 'You're just messing with me. Like with that deathclaw thing.'

'That's where you're wrong. That happened. If slightly differently. Ask Mom, she'll confirm it. Actually, it was her idea. I'd have sold the thing. Or cooked it, for that matter.'

'Can you eat those?'

'You can eat everything. Some things only once. Say, what can I do for you, Shaun? Or was all you needed to smirk at me as I sit shaking on a roof?'

'No. I wanted to ask what Hancock meant when he said you and Mom have a crazy pact.'

'There's nothing crazy about our pact. It's just a deal we made a time ago. We've decided that I won't die of the rads I soaked up living in the Commonwealth and she won't get eaten. Even if she brings little baby deathclaws home safely.'

Shaun looked doubtful. 'Hancock said it's crazy. That doesn't sound crazy.'

'I'll talk to Hancock about ratting me out to my kid,' Deacon muttered. It struck him how true that had become to him over the short time. Living under a roof with Shaun and Kalyna had turned him domestic. He'd thought he'd lost any will and ability for that, but there he was, being a family person. And he'd be damned if he didn't love it. 'Well, I promise you I won't do anything reckless that'll put me in danger. Neither will Mom. It's not much more than that, really.'

'Oh. Good.' He still looked sceptical. 'Are you going to turn yourself into a synth if you get sick?'

Deacon snorted. 'No, kid.' He ruffled Shaun's hair. 'Stop worrying, you're worse than your mother. That pact won't come to play for a long time yet. Forget it. And if Hancock bugs you about it again, tell him to put a sock in it.'


	3. The Dragon's Crooked Spine

_((Chapter heading from_ Maker _from the DA:I tavern songs.))_

 _Chapter 3  
The Dragon's Crooked Spine_

It had happened horribly fast. The Red Rocket truck stop calling for help, sudden silence, and Deacon and Kalyna had rushed off to the rescue. They had expected raiders or mutants. They found deathclaws. Five of them. Two severely wounded by the turrets protecting the settlers and dying. One busy tearing down a building. Two busy eating settlers. It was those two they attacked.

When Kalyna had decided that power armour made her invincible, Deacon wasn't sure. He'd lured one of them off towards the turrets, making sure he didn't get hit, when he heard the other roar its anger. The next thing he saw was a metal figure, being thrown like a toy to crash with a horrible sound against a rock. The deathclaw followed, being torn down by the turret. Its body buried Kalyna underneath it.

For a moment, Deacon stood frozen with terror. Then he screamed, sounding inhuman even to himself, and ran towards the thing, not caring that there was one more of the creatures. To reach him, it had to run right into the line of fire of the turrets, but he didn't think he'd have been able to stay away if that wasn't the case.

The left arm of the power armour looked out from underneath the dead animal. Deacon gave a cautious tug. Pointless. 'Whisper! Kalyna, do you hear me? God, please, say something.'

'I hear you.' Her voice was muffled. He prayed fervently that this was only because of the thing on her and not because she lacked the strength. 'Get Curie, Deacon. Fast.' She managed to worm her way out from underneath the deathclaw, the power armour giving her the necessary muscle. Deacon didn't wait for her to make it out. He ran to the radio station, which was thankfully covered by the turret. If that was by design or coincidence he wasn't sure, but he was extremely grateful. He stammered a call for help to Sanctuary and raced back to Kalyna.

She was fully outside now. The chest piece of her power armour was dented. Deeply. Fear swamped Deacon as he watched her turn around until she lay face down on the ground. 'I'll get you out,' he said quickly, opening the mechanism. He pulled her out carefully, frightened to do more damage, but desperate to have her outside the contraption when Curie arrived.

Kalyna's breaths were shallow. There was no blood, but that didn't say anything. She might be bleeding internally, and given the shape of the damned armour, she probably was. Well. If she hadn't been in it, he'd be holding a mangled corpse. He pushed the thought firmly away. 'Whisper, hold on, Curie's coming. Just a few minutes.'

'Trying. Breathing's a bit painful here.'

'We've got a pact. You can't leave me.'

'Deacon, promise you'll take care of Shaun if this goes badly.'

'Whisper, I …' He swallowed. He couldn't lie, not now. He couldn't promise something he had no way to influence. 'I will. But you need to stay with me. I can't do this without you, I'll fail miserably.'

Her hand gripped his hard. 'That pact was never serious to begin with, but that won't matter if Curie doesn't come soon.'

Deacon licked his lips. 'It's bloody serious for me.' He felt the burning in his eyes. 'I meant it, although I know you never believed it. I still do.'

'Really? Do you, Deacon? This isn't a joke?'

'No. God, no.'

'So many ways this could go wrong. I could never kill you, even if …' She swallowed the rest of the sentence.

'You would if it's deliverance. As would I. But we could talk to Curie for some sort of failsafe way.'

'Deacon, that sound?'

First he thought she was slipping, but then he heard it, too. Footsteps, powerful, lumbering ones, distant but approaching fast. 'Strong! Strong, over here!' He yelled, voice cracking with panic. The huge green shape appeared from behind a building. 'Grab her, let's go meet Curie.' He kissed the top of Kalyna's head. 'You'll be all right. Strong'll carry you and we'll meet Curie on the way. You'll be all right. Won't you?' That last sounded timid even to himself.

A small laugh emerged from Kalyna. 'If I'm not dead yet, I'll make it to Curie. Thank you, Deacon. My hero.'


	4. Ash in the Sun

_((Chapter heading from_ Oh, Grey Warden _from the DA:I tavern songs.))_

 _Chapter 4  
Ash in the Sun_

Deacon convulsed violently, his body curling in on itself. There was nothing left his stomach could lose except acid, which he spewed on the ground. He would have fallen into the puddle if Kalyna hadn't been holding him.

'Oh, not again,' he said. 'God, I … Whisper, I …' He fell silent and turned away from here, face flushed with shame.

'I know,' she said simply. He'd lost his bowels with the same force. 'C'mon, Deacon, lean on me.'

'I'll get us both killed.'

'Move.' He was light, way too light. They had no purified water left, no proper food, nothing. Something had bitten him, making him ill, and after three days in the middle of nowhere without any sustenance he could keep, Kalyna was mortally afraid. They reached the dead husk of a tree, and she lowered them both to the ground next to it. Frantically, Kalyna dug in her pack for some sort of fresh cloth. There was one shirt left, the last one. She ripped it into stripes.

'Whisper, leave me some stuff here and go. If I recover, I'll follow.'

'Like hell.' She faced him, angry at the mere suggestion. 'Would you do that? Abandon me here when I'm sick?'

'No, but I'm …'

'What? Not important? You're a part of me, Deacon. I could just as well leave my leg here.' More roughly than she wanted, Kalyna stripped Deacon of his trousers. Also the last pair. He didn't help, he had no strength left in him. She had one battered coat left that would have to do to cover him. Again, he turned his face away as she undressed him. 'Deacon. Look at me.' He did, reluctantly. His lower lip trembled, and when she kissed him, even though she tasted the bile on his lips, he broke, crying helplessly and silently. 'Let me help you, love.' She managed a smile. 'After all, we have a pact. And I sure haven't given up. I'll keep feeding you, I'll keep trying to give you drops of water, I'll keep cleaning you. And if I have to tear my own clothes to do so, I'll do it, too. And if we're lucky, you're getting better. You're no longer feverish, so there's reason to hope. Just don't quit on me.'

'I feel like shit. Any end to this would be nice, really.'

'You'd rather die than struggle through this?' She could hear the pain in the question herself.

Coughs wracked Deacon's body, bringing forth another surge of gastric juice and bloody stool. 'Tell you what,' he said, gasping for air. 'You're worth even this crap.' A weak smile formed on his face. 'And I know you love me even when I'm gross and possibly a lost cause anyway. As if I needed proof.' With a shaking, much too cold hand, he caressed her cheek. 'You're so worth it. I'll keep my end of that pact. I'm not dying here. I refuse. I'll fight for every breath.' He folded his arms, the gesture of defiance clear if useless, and let her clean him, no longer avoiding her eyes when she looked at his face. He was open, all the way.

Considering how mistrustful the man had been, Kalyna couldn't help thinking that she was the lucky one out of the two of them. 'Good,' she said softly. And then, although she'd wanted to wait with that piece of information until a little longer, until Deacon was safe, until they could laugh about this, the words left her mouth against her will. 'Good, Deacon, because your dead sperms got me pregnant.'


	5. The Ways of Nobler Men

_((Chapter heading from_ Sera Was Never _from the DA:I tavern songs.))_

 _Chapter 5  
The Ways of Nobler Men_

'Miriam?'

Kalyna snorted. 'I'm telling you it's a boy. And I thought we agreed that if it _is_ a girl, which it's not, we call her Glory. And that was your idea in the first place.'

'Hm. Right.' The grin he wore told her that he was messing with her. He wasn't even trying to be convincing anymore. Way too comfortable. 'Have you asked Shaun?'

'Yeah. He asked me a counter question. One that I didn't answer.'

'Oh. Wow. Very precise, I love that about you. Never vague.' He dropped his grin, apparently noticing that she wasn't entirely comfortable with the direction of their talk. 'Hey, what did he say?'

'While I didn't answer, or rather, I lied and told him I _couldn't_ answer, it's something I want to bounce off you. Because it makes sense, when you really think about it.'

'Whisper …'

'It's not … we don't have to tell anyone why, you know.'

'Kalyna Mara.'

She looked at him, wondering if he would yell or just silently flee – not that he'd _stay_ away, that wasn't it, but she didn't want to hurt him. 'I was thinking … out of the blue, really … Connor?'

Deacon's mouth fell open. He licked his lips and swallowed drily. 'Out of the blue? Out of your mind, more like.'

'I'm sorry. I just wanted to … forget I said it.'

'Are you serious?'

'No,' she managed to say, convincingly, she believed. 'Bad joke, I really am sorry.'

'I refuse to believe you'd make a joke like that, so you must actually mean it. Whisper, that man was trash.'

She took a deep breath. 'You know, I thought that too, long ago. But the truth is, Deacon, he never did die. He went and became a decent, wonderful person.'

'You're mental. Completely batshit.' He extended both hands, waiting for her to take them, and pulled her down to sit on his lap. 'Give me a little time, all right? How does Nick sound as a fall-back plan?'

Kalyna made a face. 'Nah. Valentine, though? Sounds better, I think.'

'All right. Valentine. Aw, hell, maybe I can get myself to agree with Connor. I promise nothing, though.'

Running a hand over his clean-shaven skull, Kalyna plucked the almost ever-present shades from his face and smiled. 'Thanks, love.'


	6. Not Afraid of the Night

_((Chapter heading from_ Once We Were _from the DA:I tavern songs.))_

 _Chapter 6  
Not Afraid of the Night_

Deacon was panting, a big smile on his face. Whisper had an arm and a leg thrown over him, the sticky mess of their lovemaking bothering neither of them. Shaun and Connor were with Nick Valentine, the synth child building something obscure even Deacon had no clue about, their mutual son delighted that he was old enough to stay away for a night. Even if away was only next door. 'God. I'm scared,' Kalyna said.

Deacon pulled her on top of his chest and a cover over them both. 'Don't be. Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to. For me it's now or never, you've got all the time in the world.'

'Will you do it if I say no?'

For a moment, he considered lying. He could pull it off so that she believed him, but then he realised it would be a betrayal to do so. It wasn't an option, not with her. 'No. I'm not going to watch you wither and die. Especially die. The wither part isn't entirely off the table.'

'Well, then how much time do we have if we don't follow through with our plan?'

'I have no idea. A few years before it scatters and my body and my mind are too broken for any quality of life. Fucking radiation. I'm glad we asked Curie to do her research way back when. I'd be scared it's too late now if she hadn't told us she's ready any time.'

'Then our pact's still on.'

'Obviously.' He framed her face in his hands. 'You sure you're up for such a long ride with me?'

'I'll be your wife right until the next apocalypse and past it.' She laughed, and it seemed real. He'd have known if it wasn't, his Whisper was an open book to him. 'What a family we are. A kid that won't grow up, and us … Just wonderful.'

Deacon smiled and kissed her, gently and full of all the affection he had for this woman. 'Actually, when you think about it, it kind of is. Now we just have to stay sane. Piece of cake. Curie seems confident enough.'

'I have one request.' Kalyna shifted a bit and his cock twitched in anticipation, trapped underneath her. 'You said it was time you got a new face. I … ask you not to.'

Deacon's fingers tangled into Kalyna's hair. 'I don't know, Whisper. I start getting too used to seeing this mug in the mirror.'

'The war's over, Deacon. The only reason why you'd do this is because you're running from yourself. You don't need to, not anymore. I'd like you to burn that … mug into my mind some more.'

He gave a low hum. 'I have a huge problem,' he said, hands travelling down her body, cupping her buttocks. 'Recently, I seem to give in to you in the most outrageous things.'

'Very outrageous, me asking you to not become a stranger in the blink of an eye.'

'Yeah.' He positioned himself at her entrance and locked eyes with her. He was still unable to take her for granted, waited for permission. 'Let me think about it?'

'Not now.' She straddled him and slid down on his length.

Deacon's eyes closed with a soft sigh, his hands resting on her knees. 'Only one thing I'm thinking right now.'

'Brahmin steak.'

Deacon snorted and smacked her hip lightly. 'Nah. Logistics, of course. What do you think I am, a hedonist?'

Kalyna circled her hips, forcing the laughter from his face and an abandoned moan out of his chest. 'Could've fooled me.'


	7. The Stronghold Lives On

_((Chapter heading from_ Oh, Grey Warden _from the DA:I tavern songs.))_

 _Chapter 7  
The Stronghold Lives On_

Reg McMillan felt very much like an adult as he approached the Castle. He'd grown up in Diamond City, had always been good in his classes, but had also always known that his future lay outside. The Minutemen had fascinated him since he'd first heard of them. And the Railroad. The history lessons teaching him that they had once been a secret organisation sounded unbelievable. Now, they appeared once in a while and quite openly, wherever there was injustice towards anyone not human. But all that other stuff had of course happened almost a century ago.

Back then, everyone had hated or feared synths, and the Railroad had saved them. Now, they provided intelligence for the Minutemen aside from dispersing the occasional synth hunting gang. The Brotherhood of Steel had been all but swallowed by the Minutemen. And all that in the lifetime of the General, who had eventually retired in favour of her older son, who was a synth himself. That much was true, even though it had happened decades ago, after that son had decided to transfer his mind into the catatonic body of an adult synth. So far, whispered voices and history lessons agreed.

Said mother was rumoured to be still alive and lead the Railroad, or to have died naturally of old age, or to have walked off into the Glowing Sea to join the Church of Atom.

Now Reg was 14 years old, practically an adult, and he had decided it was time to start his career as a soldier. The structure of the Castle was impressive, the fortifications forbidding enough to slow his steps. In accord, two figures rose on the rampart next to a huge cannon. He drew his gun, taking in the distorted features of the ghouls leering down at him. They were dressed strangely in matching shirts with an odd red pattern. 'Have you got no manners?' one of the two shouted, voice destroyed by time and radiation. 'Recruits these days …'

'Oi. Don't scare the young man away.' The other waved at Reg and smiled. It was a woman, he saw, her face scabbed and scarred, but still feminine. Not attractive, that wasn't possible, but not feral at least. Only now Reg saw that the two ghouls were holding hands, their fingers interlocked. He had a feeling they already had been for a while before he'd come near. 'Go on in, head to Extany. Fellow was sitting at the radio last I looked, but he can abandon it for a minute. If you impress him, you'll get to meet the General. We'll be down shortly.'

'Do you live here?' Reg shouted up, amazed. He'd met only very few ghouls. Some visited Diamond City to buy stuff, notably a certain Hancock, mayor of Goodneighbor. They usually didn't linger, but sometimes the mayor told stories, and so did one Nick Valentine, the detective that had pointed Reg here in the first place. Tales of a time where ghouls and synths (with the notable exception of Valentine himself) had been forbidden inside. Of the Minutemen and how they'd risen from the grave. Of the huge airship that had long ago been landed and turned into living quarters. Of the Railroad, squatting under a church and hiding. Of the woman who had made it all possible. Hancock was one of those that claimed she still lived, and when confronted with the impossibility of that statement offered nothing but a smile.

'No,' the male ghoul called down, answering Reg's question. 'We live in a submarine, way out on the sea. We only swim ashore when we need food supplies. Fresh limbs from those that were stupid enough to attack the Castle, preserved in a special irradiated room. All that food, just for the two of us.' He licked his lips with gusto.

Reg stared up at them. He'd never heard of ghouls that weren't feral eating people, but then again, he'd never asked.

The other ghoul smacked her mate, all the while wearing a fond smile and never letting go of his hand. 'Freak. We live in Sanctuary, kid, we visit occasionally.' She grinned. 'You want a chat, we'll oblige. But don't believe everything that one tells you. Now chop, chop, don't dawdle. This is the military, after all.'


End file.
